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to dim

to dim

12 2.4
To become less bright or make a light weaker
  • verb
  • /dɪm/
translation icon : atenuar
  • I think we'll dim the lights a little bit for this.
  • dim the stars

Don't don't dim your light for other people.

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Examples

Synonyms

to darken
vsto dim
63 3.3

Make or become less bright, for example a room

reduces brightness without necessarily making something fully dark
to tone down
vsto dim
44 3.7

To make something less strong, for example a sound, color or feeling

reduces brightness specifically rather than softening general intensity
to dull
vsto dim
33 3.4

Cause something to become less sharp, strong or bright

reduces brightness specifically, while this one applies to many qualities
to overshadow
vsto dim
15 5.4

To make something darker by blocking light

reduces brightness directly rather than by casting a shadow
to attenuate
vsto dim
9 7.9

To make something weaker, like sound or light

reduces brightness specifically rather than weakening various properties
to bedim
vsto dim
9.9

To make something, like light and memory, less bright or clear

reduces brightness directly without stressing loss of clarity
to blear
vsto dim
9.9

To make the edges of things look dim or blurred

reduces brightness but does not necessarily blur outlines

Antonyms

52 4.1

To make something bright or visible with light

5 2.1

To become less cloudy with more light

Idioms

To not approve of something

Compounds

12 3.5

A meal of small Chinese dishes served with tea

5 5.1

A bad opinion of someone or something

1 2.6

A soft, low light that is not very bright

7.2

A hope that seems unlikely to come true

Unable to see things clearly because you have weak eyes

nice-but-dim
  • Offensive
9.2

Pleasant and friendly but not very smart

How Dark

to blacken
19 3.4
to darken
63 3.3
to dim
12 2.4
to shade
26 1.0

Surface Forms

dim infinitive
dimmed past
dimmed past participle
dimming present participle
dims third person singular

Etymology

The verb dim comes from the same old English dimm that means 'make faint', so to dim a lamp or screen is to make it less bright.